In Every Victory, There Is Defeat
by GeniusOrMadness
Summary: No matter the battle, no matter the war, there are always victories, and always defeats. When Areah, a sarcastically inclined waterbender, takes up a mission to aid a rebellion led by earthbenders, she never expected the consequences. She never expected
1. The First Mistake

Liquid brown eyes, nearly hidden beneath a dark cloak, shone in the dim light of the morning. The small, dingy street was unusually empty. Green-clad figures watched from dark houses and shops, silently observing the stranger. No one dared approach, fearing the Fire Nation's wrath. Strangers in their Earth Kingdom town were always either spies or fugitives. 

The mysterious figure paused at a shop window. Noticing the shopkeeper's speedy retreat, she turned down a nearby alley.

The five boys occupying the alley whispered among themselves, snickering and pointing at the stranger. A blonde-haired boy reached out and yanked off the cloak, revealing a short, tousled-looking girl, dressed in the blue clothing of the water tribes. Her dark braid flew as she spun around, grabbing the boy's retreating hand. Grasping it tightly, she twisted, efficiently breaking his wrist.

"Aack!" the boy shouted in pain. The other boys, still until now, jumped into action. Bursts of fire flew from their hands, aimed at the girl.

"Firebenders," she snarled, dodging the blasts and shoving the blonde boy into the gutter. As she dashed around the group, giving painful blows at random, water rose from the gutter. The blonde boy tried to warn his companions, but the water had already lowered around their young faces. Arms out, the girl held the water with basic waterbending. Fear plastered itself across the five faces as it became apparent that the water wasn't going to continue its fall.

Hurried footsteps echoed through the empty streets, coupled with rough voices.brbr "Tha' fire came fr'm o'er thur," a thickly accented voice said. Another man grunted in reply.

The waterbender glanced around uncertainly as the footsteps sounded closer. Apparently making her decision, she dashed away, releasing the waterbending.

"I'll be back…" she whispered to herself, diving through a nearby hedge.

* * *

Humming brightly, Rose filled her kettle with water from a bubbling fountain. Bringing it to a boil with firebending, she set the tea bags to seep. Setting the ornate pot on a small stone table, she sighed happily. The garden was so beautiful, especially compared to the drab and dreary town in which it grew. 

Hearing angry shouts and several splashes in a nearby alley, Rose rolled her eyes. Just another stupid fight, she thought, turning back to her tea. As she poured the steaming liquid into her teacup, fire flashed against the grey, overcast sky.

"Oh dear," she murmured, spinning to face the direction of the disturbance. Fights were common, of course, one could not expect civilized behavior from Earth Kingdom ruffians. But firebenders getting involved? That was just unusual…

Still holding the cup of tea, Rose walked speedily towards the gate. Just as she reached out her free hand to undo the latch, someone dashed through the tall hedges, running into her. The stranger stopped, as if to apologize, as Rose lost her grip on the teacup. Its contents spilled, apparently going to fall on the stranger's odd blue clothing… But it didn't. The tea halted its journey, mere inches from its destination, the stranger's hands raised on either side of the brown liquid mass.

The antique teacup fell onto the grey stones, shattering, but Rose paid it no attention.

"You're a waterbender, aren't you?"

The other girl flinched.


	2. Lies And More Lies

Things were not looking good. With the five angry firebenders behind her and this strange girl in front of her, there was no place to go. Indecision scrawled across her face as she thought of the possible actions she could take. 

"You are a waterbender!" Rose exclaimed, taking the girl's silence as an answer.

"I… er… um…." The waterbender in question replied, looking around frantically for an escape.

"The lady's garden!" a voice said, very close to where the two teens were standing.

"Oh!" Rose said, inspecting the waterbender. "I suppose it was you who started that fight?"

Not giving her a chance to reply, Rose pushed the girl through another hedge. "Stay here!" she whispered urgently, turning to face the two fully-armored Fire Nation soldiers that were coming through the garden gate.

"What is the meaning of this!" Rose asked haughtily, giving the men a fierce glare. "How dare you disturb the peace of my garden!"

The two men exchanged a surprised look. Whatever it was they had expected, it certainly hadn't been Rose in a temper. One of them managed to stutter "S-sorry for the intrusion, milady, but there is a, erm, criminal in the area, and we, ah, thought…"

"And therein lies the problem!" she interrupted. "You thought! Soldiers are not supposed to think, simply do what they are ordered! And were you ordered to intrude upon my tea?" she asked, raising a single, finely carved brow.

"Well no…"

"Then I hereby order you to leave! And unless a real crisis occurs, I never want to see you in my garden again!"

The soldiers exchanged another look, then saluted and jogged swiftly out the gate.  
Sighing in relief, Rose leaned on the sturdy hedge. "You can come out now…" she whispered, pushing her near-black hair behind her ears and closing her golden eyes.

"Thanks." The waterbender murmured, shoving through the thick branches. "But…"

"What?" Rose replied, opening her eyes to look at the other girl.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm… nobody important." Rose replied. "Why are you here, in the fine town of Suden?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

The girl noticed her attempt, and decided not to press her question. After all, the stranger had just saved her life. But that didn't mean that she had to be totally honest either. "I'm here for… business. My name is Areah, by the way."

"Rose." The other teen replied, smiling. "Where are you headed, Areah?"

Relieved that Rose hadn't inquired the type of business she had been doing. To put it lightly, the business hadn't exactly been legal. "I'm headed for Omashu."

"Oh good!" Rose said simply, grinning.

Areah was suddenly suspicious of the other girl's motives. "Oh good… what?"

"I shall come with you."

"Oh no you wont!"

"What makes you think you can stop me?"

"Just because you saved me, I will NOT drag you along. I have other business that needs to be taken care of!"

"I can make you take me…"

"Oh yeah?" Areah replied sarcastically, "You and what army?"

"The army on the other side of town. They are currently occupied, dealing with some sort of rebellion, but I'm sure they could spare some time to help the daughter of the Fire Lord's closest advisor…."

All color drained from Areah's face.

* * *

**A/N: **Alrighty, this is indeed my first attempt at a fan fiction. I would forever appreciate your reviews and words of advice, and I want to let you know that I don't believethat there can betoo much critisim. So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review. I am forever obliged! 


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